Almost 48 million people intend to start a business in the next two years in Brazil. And more than half (54.6%) of these people are women. The data comes from the 2023 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and illustrates women’s desire to pursue their own career paths. The motivations for this are countless: from making a living and building wealth to continuing a family tradition, leaving a legacy or making a difference in the world.
To promote and support the presence of women in entrepreneurship, the United Nations (UN) created In a belated tribute, see below a list of 10 entrepreneurs who have already told the stories of their lives and their companies in the From Zero to Top, the entrepreneurship podcast InfoMoney,
Cleusa Maria da Silva, founder of Sodiê
Episode 209 tells the story of Cleusa Maria da Silva, who started working at the age of 9, as a busboy and founded Sodiê Doces. Still in childhood, together with his 9 brothers and mother. She was a housewife, worked on the factory floor of a speaker company and started making cakes at the insistence and encouragement of her boss. Now, with a network of almost 400 stores and a turnover that exceeded 700 million, Cleusa “retired”, professionalized her management and went to live on the beach!
Camila Ortiz, co-founder of Lofty Syle
Episode 208 tells the story of Lofty Style, a company that started as a small neighborhood store and became a chain with more than 40 units. The company was founded by Camila Ortiz and Wander Cordeiro in 2003 and underwent a major overhaul that removed 8 of the 10 best-selling products from the shelves. The move was so successful that over the last three years, the company began doubling in size every year. The renewal movement came from Camila’s vision, who took on the position of CEO of the company and is this week’s guest on the Do Zero ao Topo podcast.
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Patricia Lima, founder of Simple Organic
Episode 206 tells the story of Simple Organic, a Brazilian company that makes “clean” cosmetics. Founded by journalist Patricia Lima, who sought to undertake a purposeful business, the company was such an instant success that it ended up running out of stock. With just over three years of life, it caught the attention of the beauty industry and Patricia received 16 sales proposals for the brand. The rest of the story is in the full episode.
Carolina Cavenaghi, founder of Fin4She
In episode 205 of the podcast Carolina Cavenaghi, co-founder and CEO of Fin4She talks about the presence of women in the financial market and the power of financial independence.
Janaina Dallan, founder of Carbonext
In episode 203 of Do Zero ao Topo, Janaína Dallan reveals how she transformed her passion for nature into a business with global impact. Discover his trajectory of more than 20 years in the carbon market, the challenge of entrepreneurship in the midst of crises and how his company became one of the largest in the sector in Brazil.
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Mari Saad, founder of Mascavo
Episode 202 of the podcast tells the story of Mari Saad, the makeup blogger who became a businesswoman and now launches her own brand, Mascavo. Mariana Carvalho Saad was born in the interior of São Paulo, in Jales, a city with just under 50 thousand inhabitants. Today, she has more than 4 million followers on Instagram – more than 80 times the population of her hometown.
Joice Sens, co-founder of Live!
When Gabriel Sens and Joice Sens decided to create Live! – a brand of clothing for sports – there were less than 10 thousand gyms in Brazil. Just over 20 years later, there are already more than 40 thousand gyms. This growth also boosted Live! which last year passed the R$500 million mark in revenue – and has the potential to double its size soon. This story is in episode 185 of #DoZeroAoTopo.
Claudia Consalter, co-founder of Orthodontics
Brazil is one of the countries with the most dentists in the world: there are more than 400,000 professionals, according to data from the Federal Council of Dentistry. It was natural, therefore, for businesses linked to the sector to emerge in the country. One of them started in 2002, in Londrina. It was founded by five friends and already has 300 units spread across the country. In 2023, it had revenues of almost R$400 million and has a plan to double (units and revenues) by 2025. The network’s history is the theme of episode 173 of the podcast, which features Claudia Consalter, one of the company’s co-founders.
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Mariane Morelli, co-founder of Supley
Founded in 2006, in Matão, in the interior of São Paulo, by childhood friends, it is the largest food and nutritional supplement laboratory in Brazil and Latin America, owner of the Max Titanium and Probiótica brands, leader in sales of whey protein and creatine in the country. The goal was to reach revenues of R$1 billion and leave the ‘house’ ready for an IPO as soon as the opportunity arises. Mariane Morelli, one of the company’s founders and guest on episode 150 of the Do Zero ao Topo podcast, spoke a little about the company’s goals, the history of the Supley Group and its plans for the future.
Ana Cabral-Gardner, co-founder of
One of the meanings of the English term fighter is fighter or fighter. And that word really defines Ana Cabral-Gardner very well. She, who has a degree in economics, entered the financial market at a very young age and worked at Banco Garantia, when Jorge Paulo Lemann was still working there. He invested in education and gained a place in a world that was dominated by men.
Today, Ana is co-CEO of, a Canadian and Brazilian company that is building a factory in Vale do Jequitinhonha, in Minas Gerais. What does she mean by that? Place Brazil in a prominent position in the electric vehicle production chain in the world.
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Cabral-Gardner is the guest on episode 142 of Do Zero ao Topo, the videocast that tells the story of the men and women behind the biggest companies and businesses in Brazil and the world.
